Gov. Abbott blasts NFL for playing politics instead of football

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott went on a Texas-size rant about the NFL after a League official reportedly criticized the state's proposed Bathroom Bill.

"The NFL is walking on thin ice right here," Abbott said on the Conservative Glenn Beck radio show. "The NFL needs to concentrate on football, and get the heck out of politics!"

Abbott was reacting to the NFL's warning to the Lone Star State that if it passes a restrictive transgender bathroom bill, Texas may not be awarded another Super Bowl.

"For some low-level NFL adviser to come out and say that they are going to micromanage and try to dictate to the state of Texas what type of policies we're going to pass in our state— that's unacceptable!" The governor ranted. "We don't care what the NFL thinks and certainly what their political policies are, because they are not a political arm of the state of Texas or the United States of America."

The governor said that if the NFL feels that strongly about the issue, then it can install and pay for special bathrooms that meet its criteria-- rather than "trying to dictate to states what types of policies they have."

Then, the governor blasted Colin Kaepernick for his kneeling protests during the National Anthem.

"He needs to be standing up in respect for the men and women who died fighting in the United States military so he had the freedom to go out and play a game and get paid a hundred million dollars," Abbott said.

Of course, the NFL might want to remember some Lone Star wisdom from an old ad campaign: 'Don't Mess With Texas!'